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110V or 230V cable reel: yellow after the transformer

Updated: 23 October 2026

The cheaper drum in a search result may say camping and still be 110 V. A 110V or 230V cable reel is not a style choice. Yellow is the 110 V band after a centre-tapped transformer. Blue is the 230 V single-phase band. The keyway is moulded so those plugs should not interchange. This page is only that decision. The five drums sit on the [CEE cable reel comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/cee-cable-reel). Products Compared used amazon.co.uk listings and public UK guidance, not a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The cheaper drum in a search result may say camping and still be 110 V. A 110V or 230V cable reel is not a style choice. Yellow is the 110 V band after a centre-tapped transformer. Blue is the 230 V single-phase band.

Our top picks

Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl Garant 25 m orange CEE reel

Best overall

Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl Garant 25 m orange CEE reel
8.8/10about £126.32
View offer
Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl Garant CEE 2 25 m reel

Alternative

Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl Garant CEE 2 25 m reel
7.9/10about £160.42
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Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl X-Gum 14 m 110 V CEE reel

Alternative

Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl X-Gum 14 m 110 V CEE reel
4.9/10about £32.72
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Yellow is 110 V after a transformer
  2. 2.Battery tools, then 110 V, then 230 V with extra care
  3. 3.Blue is the 230 V CEE drum
  4. 4.A 110 V reel with camping in the title is still 110 V

Yellow is 110 V after a transformer

On a UK construction supply, 110 V usually comes from a transformer with the secondary centre-tapped to earth. HSE’s HSR25 uses 55-0-55 V as the reduced-voltage example. The cable reel does not create that system. It only extends a yellow 110 V CEE outlet the transformer already has. If the yellow plug will not lock, do not file it. The yellow drum here is £32.72, with 14 m of H05VV-F 3G1.5 and no star line.

Battery tools, then 110 V, then 230 V with extra care

HSG141 puts battery tools first, then 110 V for lighting and tools. 230 V portable tools come only with extra precautions, including an RCD you test. A competent contractor designs temporary distribution, and HSE points at BS 7375. “240 V is banned” is a slogan. It is not what HSG141 says. If the tools and the transformer are already yellow, buy the yellow reel. Unwind is on the how to use a cable reel page.
Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl Garant 25 m orange CEE reel

Testsieger

Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl Garant 25 m orange CEE reel
8.8/10about £126.32
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Blue is the 230 V CEE drum

Blue is about 200–250 V. Both are Brennenstuhl, 230 V 16 A, H07RN-F 3G2.5, about 25 m, with two CEE sockets. The orange Garant, B08W1Q9YN2, is £126.32 with 4.7 from 84 ratings, and its bullets do not print a cut-out. The blue Garant CEE 2, B0GX62C7ZS, is £160.42 with 4.4 from six German reviews, and the bullets print a single-pole cut-out. Neither accepts a UK 13 A plug. The buying guide separates those faces.

A 110 V reel with camping in the title is still 110 V

The £32.72 Brennenstuhl is the trap. Bullets that say camping and caravan sit beside a 110 V 16 A CEE plug. A UK pitch bollard is blue 16 A. You should not try the yellow plug in it. The best CEE cable reel page skips this drum unless the transformer and the tools are already 110 V. Yellow only after the transformer, blue only on a blue 16 A supply.

Common questions

Why are site reels yellow?
UK site systems take 110 V from a centre-tapped transformer so the voltage to earth is about 55 V. The IEC 60309 colour for that band is yellow, about 100–130 V. The reel is yellow because the transformer outlet is yellow. The plastic does not reduce the voltage. The transformer does.
What does centre-tapped 110 V change for you?
The tool still runs at about 110 V between the two poles. Each pole sits at about 55 V to earth, which is the reduced shock voltage HSE describes. You still unwind, you still respect the cut-out, and you still retire a damaged sheath. If the transformer is missing, a yellow reel has nowhere correct to plug in.
Can a 110 V CEE plug go into a blue 230 V socket?
The keyway is there so it should not. Different clock positions stop the yellow plug mating with the blue socket. If you have to force it, stop. Take the tool back to the transformer, or take the blue plug back to the 230 V supply. This page does not recommend an adapter that defeats the key.
Is 230 V banned on UK sites?
HSG141 prefers battery tools, then 110 V, and it allows 230 V portable tools with extra precautions and an RCD you test. Temporary distribution is a competent person’s design, with BS 7375 in the background. A page that says 240 V is banned has turned that order into a ban the guidance does not state.
Why is the cheap 14 m reel a bad campsite buy?
It is 110 V CEE, 14 m of H05VV-F 3G1.5, at £32.72, with camping words and no star line. A campsite bollard is blue 230 V. The price is close to a 10 m UK-socket hook-up reel, and neither short reel is the club’s 25 m blue lead. The 110 V drum is the one that cannot connect at the right voltage. Leave it for the transformer.
When is a blue 230 V CEE reel the right drum?
When the supply and the appliance are both blue 16 A CEE. In this set that is the orange 25 m Garant at £126.32 or the blue 25 m Garant CEE 2 at £160.42, both on H07RN-F 3G2.5. The orange one has the larger review sample. The blue one has the cut-out in the bullets and only six German reviews. A UK 13 A kettle still needs a different face.
Where does the red 400 V reel sit in this choice?
Outside it. Red is about 380–480 V, on five-core cable, for three-phase plant. The 30 m drum in this set is £162.86, 12.2 kg, with 5.0 from nine ratings and German texts. If you do not already have red plugs, you do not start with it. It is not a spare answer to yellow versus blue.

Related pages

Camping hook up cable reel

CEE cable reel

Best CEE cable reel: which drum matches your plugs

CEE cable reel: the checks before you choose a drum

How to use a cable reel without overheating the drum

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored in October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.

  1. HSE — Electrically powered equipment (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. HSE — HSG141 Electrical safety on construction sites (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. HSE — HSR25 Memorandum of guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Electrical Safety First — Extension leads, cable reels and block adaptors (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. BSI — BS EN 61242 Cable reels for household use (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. IEC — IEC 61316:2021 Industrial cable reels (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. IET Wiring Matters — BS 7671 section 708 caravan pitches (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Caravan and Motorhome Club — Cable news (retrieved 22.10.2026)